Records say the suspected drug dealer, Artises Wirt, 28, and a woman were inside their apartment after midnight March 4 in the Dorchester Village Apartments complex when two of the trio burst into the home.

Records say the trio fired several shots, none of which hit Wirt or the woman. Wirt, records say, told police he knew Lewis and believed he broke into the apartment to steal money and drugs.

Wirt told police he reached for a handgun hidden in his couch and fired several shots at Lewis. Police said the gun Wirt used was stolen in 2010 from an East Cleveland home.

Immediately after the shooting, Willoughby Hills police noticed a gray Mazda, registered to Lewis, driving more than 50 miles per hour. The driver also ran a red light on Bishop Road.

Reports say the car hit 65 miles per hour and then 100 miles per hour about two minutes later near 185th Street. Officers were then called off the pursuit.

Records say Lewis called Cleveland police later that night and asked for an ambulance to pick him up from East 152nd Street and Trafalgar Avenue.

Lewis told Cleveland police he engaged in a shootout with someone near East 152nd and Lucknow Avenue. Lewis told police he was shot in the arm during the shootout.

Lewis was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center. When detectives went to question him about the shooting, he was gone, records say.

Records say police collected Lewis’ DNA and shell casings from two different guns from the scene.

Wirt told police one of the trio was at his house buying drugs the night before the robbery.

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